Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) general guidelines for good manufacturing practice of food contact materials (FCMs), the safety and safe use of FCMs within the food industry, and sale of FCMs within ASEAN Member States recently made available online
ECHA online event discusses legislation goals
ECHA director presents interest in a single assessment approach for each substance to minimize burden, harmonize data structure across legislations; DG Environment director outlines EU goals for safer chemicals, leading transition to safe chemicals and non-chemical alternatives
Online symposium on EDCs and health impacts
Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) together with Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds to host online symposium on November 19, 2020; focus on reducing health impacts from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); set to feature talks from health and policy experts; registration free of charge
RIVM: Annual report 2016 online
Dutch institute for public health and environment (RIVM) publishes annual report 2016
Nature: Debate flares around EDC policy
Science journal Nature reports on the current debate amongst scientists regarding the European Commission’s EDC policy
‘Plastic Atlas’ report available in English
Report by Heinrich Böll Stiftung provides data and figures on global plastic production and uses, advocates for using this information to catalyze a change of course; report originally published June 2019 in German
US EPA extends PV29 TSCA evaluation comment period
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extends comment period for draft risk evaluation of C.I. Pigment Violet 29 (PV29) under its TSCA regulation; new draft adds previously confidential business data, solubility testing data, workplace air monitoring; concludes 11 of 14 conditions of use for PV29 pose unreasonable risk; toxicity debate ongoing also in Europe; EPA extends comment period for the revised draft until December 19, 2020
Chemical characterization of post-consumer and recycled plastics
Scientists perform target and non-target screening of recycled plastics and provide recommendations on methods; detect >280 organic chemicals and metals in 21 plastic flakes and pellets used in recycling; analyze several recycled polymers and find polyethylene terephthalate (PET) the only one currently complying with European circular economy requirements; compare analytical methods to assess the chemical composition of recyclates giving their strenghts and limitations
Phthalates: impact on leiomyoma growth and mixture risk
Study identifies mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) exposure as high-risk factor for leiomyoma growth on epidemiological and mechanistic level; European biomonitoring of five reprotoxic phthalates demonstrates necessity to integrate mixture risk assessment into regulatory practice; targeted analysis shows migration of five phthalates from polypropylene food packaging
Phthalate exposure and health impacts
Four scientific articles report on phthalate exposure sources and impacts; diet partly explains urinary phthalate levels in adolescents and children surveyed in the US and New Zealand; review of reviews summarizes human health impacts; finds studies on women “generally underrepresented”; study indicates three phthalates affect human oral health